Angels we have heard on high - Appearing to Joseph

Text: Matthew 1:18-25

18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother, Mary, was pledged in marriage to Joseph. Before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her. So he decided to divorce her privately. 20 But as he was considering these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this happened to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23“Look, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son. And they will name him Immanuel,” which means, “God with us.” 24 When Joseph woke up from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him. He took Mary home as his wife, 25 but he was not intimate with her until she gave birth to her firstborn son. And he named him Jesus.

Sermon

The angel Gabriel from heaven came to tell Joseph, “Man up.”

That’s not the translation from the NIV nor the EHV. That’s my translation.

Mary and Joseph were pledge in marriage to each other. This was a binding legal Jewish betrothal – somewhere between our American custom of engagement and marriage. A Jewish couple were pledged in marriage for a year. Joseph was legally called Mary’s husband (Matthew 1:19). Mary was legally called Joseph’s wife (Luke 2:5). But the couple did not live together.

Matthew makes it clear that “before they came together” to consummate their marriage relationship, Mary was found to be pregnant. …. And not by Joseph.

Joseph was a “righteous man.” He had a high regard for how God’s Word applied to his personal life. Joseph was also concerned about how he took action. He had every legal right to divorce Mary, but he wanted to do so “quietly” and not subject her to public ridicule.

As Joseph fell asleep considering how he would do this, an angel suddenly appeared to him in a dream. He said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Basically, the angel said, “Man up.”

When a father is taking his son out deer hunting in the cold and wait, he says, “Man up.”

When a father is toughening up his son after getting both beaten on the scoreboard and bruised on his body during the game, he says, “Man up.”

When a father is training his son on how to treat a young lady on a date by opening doors, paying the bill, and always saying “Mr. and Mrs.,” and “Sir and Ma’am” to her parents, he says, “Man up.”

There has been a lot of talk in our culture the past few years about trying to counteract the father teaching his son to “man up.” Terms like “toxic masculinity” and “misogyny” have entered the cultural vocabulary.

It has become common to describe a boy who can’t sit still in school, or plays rough on the playground, or enjoys playing with trucks and weapons as a product of toxic masculinity. Or a teen or young man who is physically tough, independent, and doesn’t show much emotion as examples of toxic masculinity.

Sure, as sinful people, boys and men can go too far and abuse their masculine traits. Yet, God has also created the two sexes to be different from each other and - at the same time – complement one another.

A very real danger for men is to listen to all this toxic masculinity talk and become what I call “spiritual wimps.” They imagine that Christianity is for the ladies, so they stay home from church, and have their wives make all the spiritual decisions on faith, church, and school for the family.

Religious statistics show that if only the mother attends regularly and the father is a no-show, a mere 2% of adult children will attend regularly. If a father practices his faith regularly, regardless of the practice of the mother, 60 to 75% of his children will practice his faith as adults. The father’s faith results in his children coming to, staying in, and practicing the faith as adults. This means that children see their father as the spiritual leader and follow his example – either positively or negatively. We pray for godly men to step up to help single moms. They can be grandpa, an uncle, a brother, a friend – someone to step in and be a father figure. Children desire a father pointing them to their heavenly Father.

Men need to examine their lives to see if they are manning up. Are they spending too much time in video games, goofing off with their friends, or scrolling through inappropriate image on the internet. Men, bring those sins before the Lord. Ask the Lord to then make you into the servant/leader he has called you to be.

Women need to examine themselves to see how they are treating the men in their lives. Are they allowing the men to make the decisions, encouraging them in their responsibilities, and humbly submitting to their godly leadership. Women, bring those sins before the Lord. Ask the Lord to then make you into the servant/helper he has called you to be.

Perhaps women find themselves so tired because they are doing the work God has called men to do. It could be because the men have given up that work to the women. Or, it could be that women have taken that work from the men. Either way, it is another reason for both men and women to repent, ask for forgiveness, and then seek an example for men to be someone and women to follow someone who exemplifies “manning up.”

God provides us that example of manning up in Joseph.

After an angel told Joseph that Mary’s child was from the Holy Spirit, he woke up and immediately took Mary as his wife. But he was not intimate with her so there would be no doubt that God was the Father of Jesus.

The Bible says that Adam fathered “a son in his own likeness, according to his own image” (Genesis 5:3). Ever since then, dads have been able to look at their children and see some of their likeness in their offspring – eyes, noses, smile … height.

But no older ladies ever said to Jesus, “You’re the spitting image of your dad.” There was none of Joseph’s DNA in Jesus. A paternity test would yield negative results.

Though there was no seed of Joseph planted in Mary’s womb, still the Scriptures repeatedly call Joseph and Mary the “parents” of Jesus. Joseph manned up for his son – as a foster dad, stepdad, adopted dad – whatever you want to call him.

Joseph was the husband who took Mary home and protected her from shame, gossip, and ugly insults.

He was husband who traveled to Bethlehem to fulfill his legal obligation to Caesar Augustus and fulfill the prophetic obligation for the Christ to be born in Bethlehem.

He was the husband who did the best he could to find a place to stay in Bethlehem after the inn was full.

He was the dad who protected his wife and newborn son by moving them to Egypt to escape the murderous King Herod.

He was the dad who provided for his wife and child in Egypt until it was time to move home. But moved to Nazareth in Galilee to avoid Herod’s son, Archelaus in Judea.

He was the husband and father who worked as a carpenter to provide food, home, and clothing for his growing family.

He was the spiritual head of the family who taught his son the Scriptures, took him to the synagogue on the Sabbath, and traveled with him to Jerusalem for the Passover.

Joseph was not the real biological father of Jesus. But he was the very real dad to the Son of God.

Joseph is God’s way of reminding men to “man up.” Joseph did what God had called him to do as a man – love his wife, protect and provide for his family, and train his children in the instructions of the Lord. Single men, husbands, fathers, and grandfathers – fatherhood is not a hobby. It is a vocation. It is a full-time calling that is both sacred and life-encompassing. It is exhausting and rewarding at the same time.

I’m sure Joseph messed up being the father of a perfect son with other imperfect children. But God forgives, covers weaknesses with the robe of his righteousness, and continues to use men as his instruments for those whom he places in their care.

Joseph was the dad to the Son of God. The name Joseph was to give this Child declared the Child’s mission. “Jesus” means “he saves.” When Joseph messed up as father, he could look at his Son as his Savior from his messing up as the Son’s dad. When we mess up as dads or moms, as single people or children, we also look to Joseph’s Son for forgiveness and salvation.

Now men – dads, foster dads, step dads, adopted dads, grand dadas – God wants you to bring your wife, children, and grandchildren to worship Jesus – the one who saves. Let them hear you confess your sins to Jesus of not being the kind of man God wants you to be. Let them observe you accepting the forgiveness of sins and making you into the man they need you to be. Let them experience you living in Jesus’ forgiveness as you lead your sons to be the men and your daughters to be the women God and God’s people need them to be.

This is how much God loves you. He sent an angel to tell Joseph to take Mary as his wife. He sent an angel to Mary to tell her she would be the mother of the Son of God. He sent his Son to be raised in a human family. He sent Jesus to be born, live, suffer, die, and rise to bring us into God’s eternal family.

Joseph didn’t have to be the dad he was. But he was. He had a sacred calling. He was told by the angel to “man up.” So when we – men, women, children – need an example of a godly man, let us look to Joseph. The man Jesus called “Dad.” Amen.